William Fox Nittler

William (Bill) Nittler died on December 2, 2022 after a 12-year struggle with prostate cancer. Hundreds of musicians and thousands of his music students mourn his loss.

Born in Denver on March 24, 1966 to Roger and Dotty Nittler, Bill grew up in a musical, loving family dedicated to community service. He studied at University of Colorado at Boulder before moving to San Francisco. In 1990, he moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music, earning a Bachelor of Music degree on alto saxophone. Bill and his partner Ginny moved to Atlanta in 1994, and he immediately joined the dynamic Atlanta music scene, playing alto and baritone saxophone, clarinet, and flute in a multitude of jazz, avant-garde, rock, and klezmer groups, including Mazel Tov Cocktail, Kingsized, Lie and Swell, Nuzion Big Band, Oy Klezmer, Edgewood Saxophone Trio, 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra, and many others. Bill was overjoyed when on stage and willing to play anything in front of an audience, translating this excitement to joyful private lessons for hundreds of beginning to advanced woodwind students, both children and adults.

A music educator to his core, Bill served Atlanta Young Singers for over 20 years as Education Director. An incredible musician with boundless energy, Bill was the guiding force behind AYS Camps and Retreats, helped thousands of singers increase their music fluency and sight-reading skills, contributed significantly to key AYS outreach initiatives, traveled the world with AYS Choirs, and embraced the individual needs of each singer, fostering curiosity, confidence, and a deep love of learning.

In 2019, Bill earned his GA teaching certificate at Georgia State University, taking a Music Specialist position at Pleasantdale Elementary School in DeKalb County in 2021. He can be heard on numerous professional recordings, including those of Atlanta Young Singers.

In the words of a close friend, “Bill was joy. Silliness. Brilliance. Creativity. He had unlimited passion for sharing music and food and fun and stories and memories.” He loved every genre of music, even American kitsch, the more obscure the better.

He is survived by his beloved daughter Lily; partner Ginny; mother Dotty; brother Larry; and sisters Monica, Eileen, and Julie.

A Celebration of Life Memorial, full of music and stories of Bill, will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 3:00pm at Church at Ponce & Highland, 1085 Ponce de Leon Avenue, NE, Atlanta 30306.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorial gifts in Bill’s honor be made to ATLANTA YOUNG SINGERS to support the ALL OUR VOICES in HARMONY Scholarship Fund or MY JOURNEY YOURS Education Program or to The Clarkston Community Center to support refugee programs. The best way to remember and honor Bill is simply by making, enjoying, or supporting music. There is nothing he would love more.